Innovation design

first.

As we age, our bodies lose the ability to detect thirst. This results in high levels of dehydration amongst elderly people. Dehydration is, therefore, one of the most common reasons for admitting an elderly person to hospital. It is also hard for health care professionals to detect it without a blood test. It is an avoidable financial drain on the NHS.

first. is a plant that replaces the thirst mechanism. ‘first.’ uses the BioStampMD™ by MC10 on the inside of the ‘first.bracelet’. This is a flexible sensor that uses surface electrodes to detect hydration levels. The data read is then wirelessly sent to the ‘first.plant.’ The leaves of the plant will curl up when the wearer is dehydrated and uncurl when they are hydrated. By hydrating themselves, the user is actively ‘giving life’ to the plant - they therefore have a purpose to remain hydrated.